Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Incidents and Illustrations
Dr. Robert L. Sumner

NEW LEADER OF "THE KOOKS!" Our unabridged office dictionary offers the principle definition of "kook" as "an unusual, peculiar or foolish person," so I think I'm using the word correctly. At any rate, the Metropolitan Community Churches – which bills itself as the world's largest 'predominantly homosexual, bisexual and transgender denomination’ – used the prestigious Washington National Cathedral (where the funerals of Presidents are conducted) near the end of 2005 to install its new head, Sodomite Nancy Wilson, who will carry the title "presiding bishop."

The liberal Episcopal Church “hosted” the Installation Service for the kooky "presiding bishop.” This Sodomite denomination now claims over 250 local congregations in 23 countries and says some 225,000 people attend its gatherings every year. While, as denominations go, that is very small – in fact, tiny – but it is 225,000 too many.

The installation service was supposed to include an announcement about a new program the Sodomites planned to launch called "Focus on the Human Family," but apparently Dr. James Dobson's legal team convinced them it might not be a good idea to mess with its registered trademark.

In describing fools (see the definition of Kook" in our opening paragraph), God said in Romans 1:24-32, "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

Note that those who participate in such wickedness are worthy of death. We understand that to be spiritual death and it is much worse than physical death! God called Sodomy "an abomination" in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. Surely the sin of Sodomy should not be honored at the Washington National Cathedral, or any other place!

UNLIKELY ANGEL! Remember Ashley Smith from a year ago? She is the little lady that entertained the escaped felon who had killed law officers at the Atlanta (GA) court house, Brian Nichols – he was holding her hostage – and eventually brought about his capture. She had read the Bible and Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life to him and softened his hard heart in a way that caused her to be billed as a born-again Christian heroine even by the liberal media. Then it was discovered she was also a drug addict (crystal methamphetamine). She has now written (probably co-authored) a book, Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero.

In one of her publicity interviews a caller asked her, "What do you say to somebody who's addicted to meth but wants to know Jesus?" She told him to first believe that Jesus Christ died for his sins and invite Him into his heart. Then he should "walk with Him" every day. She told him the first part was easy, the second difficult. By the way, she says she hasn't used meth since before Nichols was in her apartment.

She is back living with her 8-year-old daughter Paige (at her aunt and uncle's home where the girl has been living the last couple of years), seeking to take charge as a Mother should and win her to Christ, being involved in her church, and trying to rebuild family relationships.

LIBERALS WITH "VERY" LIBERAL “HYPOCRISY!” Peter Schweizer has written and released a book, Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy. He goes after radical liberals such as (given here in alphabetical order) Hillary Rodham Clinton, Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, Ralph Nader, Nancy Pelosi and George Soros (the billionaire who funded so many of the Bush-bashing attacks in the last election). All of them, as Schweizer shows, loudly proclaim one stance and in many cases practice the exact opposite. He calls his findings “a stunning record of open and shameless hypocrisy.”

Here’s a quote from the book: “Those who champion the cause of organized labor had developed various methods to avoid paying union wages or shunned unions altogether. Those who believe that the rich need to pay more in taxes proved especially adept at avoiding taxes themselves. Critics of capitalism and corporate enterprise frequently invested in the very companies they denounced. Those who espouse strict environmental regulations worked vigorously to sidestep them when it came to their own businesses and properties. Those who advocate steep inheritance taxes to promote fairer income distribution hid their investments in trusts or exotic overseas locales to reduce their own tax liability. Those who are strong proponents of affirmative action rarely practiced it themselves, and some had abysmal records when it came to hiring minorities. Those who proclaim themselves champions of civil liberties when it comes to criminal or terrorist cases went to extraordinary lengths to curtail the civil liberties of others when they felt threatened or just inconvenienced. Advocates of gun control had no problem making sure that an arsenal of weapons was available to protect them from dangerous criminals."

Rather than giving a case by case rundown, we'll use the obese, uncouth, loud-mouth Michael Moore as an illustration. The producer of “Fahrenheit 9/11” and one of the nation’s number one Bush-bashers, he has loudly ranted about corporations, insisting they are all evil and saying he doesn't own any stock because of his allegiance to his moral principles against them. Schweizer went to Moore's IRS forms and found that he has, over the past 5 years, owned stock in such corporate giants as Ford, General Electric, Halliburton (one of his favorite targets), McDonald's, Merck, Pfizer, Sunoco and Tenet Healthcare.

We hope this book sells in the millions!

WILL THIS "ROAD SHOW" COME TO YOUR CITY? Do you remember the fiasco in San Francisco at the Hamilton Square Baptist Church when ex-homosexuals were speaking about the grace of God in delivering them from such a wicked lifestyle (God calls it "abomination"), and the perverts staged a protest rally in front of the church? They not only blocked the entrance so no one could get in or out, but the police helped them and refused to do anything to help the folks inside the church.

Well, it happened again, this time at the other end of the country in the only State of the Union legalizing Sodomite marriages, Massachusetts. Focus on the Family was holding a conference in Boston at the historic Tremont Temple Baptist Church featuring ex-Sodomites, giving their testimony about the grace of God in their deliverance (it was called, "Love Won Out"). Once again a "mob" (there is no other way to describe them) gathered outside the building, “terrorizing” the Christians, yelling, chanting, screaming, waving signs and blocking the church entrance. (An anti-war rally was being held a few blocks away led by Cindy Sheehan and participants from it joined the Sodomites.) The protestors had a sound truck and were using it to full advantage. As it turned out, they did not have a permit for either the rally or the sound truck – both violations of the law. Yet they were there from the time the conference opened in the morning until it closed that night. The demonstration totally blocked off the street. Two coffins were set up in front of the church, one saying "Homophobia is deadly."

What about the police? They were there too and, as in San Francisco, took the side of the Sodomites. In fact, the police blocked the church entrance/exit and did not permit anyone to enter or leave the conference. When a lady participant at the conference asked why she couldn't leave, the response from the female officer was merely, "Because I said so." The police protection was only for the Sodomites. No one was arrested; no one even received a warning ticket!

One person attending the conference said, "The anger, rage and hatred were indescribable." If you would like a biblical picture of the scene, try the Sodomites outside the home of Lot, yelling, screaming, trying to break in and harm those inside.

Our conclusion: Sodomites have rights in America; Christians do not!

A MEAN MOM IN OKLAHOMA. Tasha Henderson said "enough already" with daughter Coretha's bad grades, tardiness and sassing teachers. What did she do? She fixed a sign saying "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food." Then she took her from their upscale suburban Edmond home to a busy Oklahoma City street corner and let her stand there with the sign.

The 34-year-old mother admitted it might not work. She said, "I'm not a professional, but I felt I owed it to Coretha to at least give it a try." Their high school, Edmond Memorial High, has been evaluated as one of the top in academics in Oklahoma.

When we read the Associated Press story it was off to a good start. The mother said she saw a marked increase in her daughter's behavior during the week and a half following the stunt, including perfect attendance at school and improved conduct. Coretha called the incident humiliating, but one that got her attention. She vowed not to talk back. She also said she was working to improve her grades so she can resume track and basketball next year, sports she had to give up because of grades.

As would be expected, the reaction of the media and the public was strong, both in commendation and condemnation. In fact, when the two stood on the corner with the sign a passing motorist called authorities to report "psychological abuse." Police responded, but refused to file any charges.

HEY KIDS, IT’S NOT SMART TO SMOKE! For a time, Hollywood toned down smoking in films, but then started up again with a vengeance. A reader to the Sunday supplement magazine, Parade, wrote to inquire how many stars exited life this way.

It responded with a partial list received from the American Cancer Society “of celebrities who smoked and died of lung cancer,” even though the society repeatedly admonished stars, directors and studio executives about their influence on impressionable teens. It read like a “Who’s Who in Hollywood” for the 20^th century. Here were some of them: Desi Arnaz, Humphrey Bogart, Yul Brynner, Nat King Cole, Chuck Conners, Walt Disney, Betty Grable, Melinda Mercouri, Gary Merrill, Robert Mitchum, Vincent Price, Robert Ryan, Robert Taylor, Simone Signoret, and Sarah Vaughan.

No one knows how much money the big tobacco giants paid Hollywood to feature smoking, including particular brands, for the simple reason no one who knows will talk about it.

THE MAJORITY OF SCIENTISTS ARE ATHEISTS. A study in 1916 showed only 40% of the United States scientists believed in God. Another survey, taken 80 years later, show the same exact result: only 40% professed to believe in Deity.

Is this glass half full or half empty? I guess the pessimist would say, “We aren’t gaining at all in this area.” On the other hand, the optimist could happily exclaim, “We’re holding our own.”

Actually, we aren’t especially surprised at the pitiful showing. No, it is not that the more intelligent someone is the less likely he is to believe in God. Some of the highest IQs in the country are humble followers of the Lamb of God. It is just that after 8 or 10 years of higher education in the field of science, with evolution jammed down his or her throat every time he or she turns around – and called “a fact” – we are amazed that even 40% profess to believe in God.

The idea of evolution is to get rid of God (and His Word). So we are not overly surprised that it is succeeding.

SPEAKING OF EVOLUTION. Charley Reese used to write for the Orlando Sentinel. In fact, his column was one of my reasons for subscribing to that paper. One column he wrote was titled, “Being able to say ‘I don’t know’ shows just how smart you are.” He said he believed in UFOs, but not aliens visiting earth. He commented, “Some people believe in aliens for the same reason some people believe in Bill Clinton – they don’t wish to face reality.”

He lamented the fact people would expound at great lengths things “for which there exists not one shred of credible evidence.” When there is no clear evidence, they make up stuff. And that was when he brought up the monkey-to-man stuff, saying:

“Evolution is a good example. There is not a shred of credible evidence that all life began in the primordial soup, yet plenty of people are convinced that it did. A lot of those assume there is evidence to prove it, but they can’t tell you what it is. It isn’t there.

“There’s plenty of evidence that living things, once created, adapt and change over a period of time. But that is quite different from the assertion that all the myriad forms of life with their incredible complexity evolved from a singe source. That’s just hogwash, a slightly more sophisticated version of the aliens-landed-and-kidnapped-me type of story.”

He noted that Michael J. Behe, a biochemist and not a creationist, in a book published by The Free Press, “after examining the evolutionists’ evidence and demolishing it, he concludes the only logical explanation for life is an intelligent designer.”

Reese said he had known long-winded journalists and writers in his time, “but none who can match those archaeologists who can find one small shard of bone and write a whole book about it – 99.9 percent of which is speculation.”

And he quoted one of our ex-Presidents: “Tom Jefferson, when he got down on the newspapers of his day, said a fellow is better off not reading them, because it is better to know nothing and know you know nothing than it is have a head full of falsehood and errors. He’s right.”

Evolution? Probably the monkeys are embarrassed at the thought they produced humans, the way we act!